Magnetic, 3D Relief Lake Map

Cartographer Caroline Rose cut this map of Lake Mendota in Madison, Wisconsin, out of wood and added Chemetal magnetic laminate to make it magnetic. Using a CNC router at the Sector67 hackerspace, she cut out the pieces in scale 10-foot intervals, screwed them together, and laminated it with the Chemetal.

The map is made to replace one at the University of Wisconsin Hoofers outdoor club, and includes magnets to delineate notable sailing and SCUBA features in the lake. Rose, who has experience with hand- and laser-cut relief maps, posted the project in more detail on the Cartography Lab blog, and the 80-pound map now hangs on campus.